Joseph b



.(No'ModeL) I v J. B. STETSON'.

. LANTERN.

Panted July 26; 1881'.

U TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH B. srnrson, on LINCOLN, MAINE, ASSIGNOR on TWO-THIRDS TO ALBION ,1). WILSON AND rannnaro EDWARDS, OF SAME PLACE.

- LANTERN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,944, dated July 26, 1881.

' I Application filed January 26, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JosEPH B. STE'rsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lincoln, in the county .of Penobscot and State of Maine, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Lanterns; and I do hereby declare that the same are fully described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

This improvement relates to devices for raising, supporting, lowering, and securing the glass shade or globe of a lantern, in order to fill,- trim, light, or extinguish the lamp. With my improvements these operations may be more conveniently and speedily performed than by removing the globe and other parts,

as has heretofore been customary.

Myinvention consists in a portable lantern having a globe-supportingfra'me, and provided with wire or other suitable connections adapted -to raise and lower the globe relatively 'to the surrounding frame.

t It also consists in such devices inreombination with a spring or look adapted to support the lantern-globe in its raised positionand to secure it in its loweredposition; I I e It also consists in the further devices and combinations of devices set forthin the appended claims.

A. favorite style of lantern now in use has its globe held removablyin position by a spring attached to a concave disk secured to the central stem of a draft-tube which rises from each side of the lamp-burner and surrounds the globe.

The drawings represent myinvent-ion as applied to such a lantern, Figure 1 being a perspective view of the same ready for use; Fig.

2, a. front view with the globe raised Fig. 3, a

vertical section of the upper part on the line w m, Fig. 2, showing the preferred form of spring lorholding the globe up or down. Fig. 4 is a detail illustrating the lateral guides.

The parts of the apparatus added by my in-- the several figures.

In the drawings, A is the oil-reservoir or base of the lantern havingthe ordinary burner and cone B, with the usual perforated plate, upon which the globe G rests.

vention are designated by heavy black lines in O is a concave disk located above the globe and serving to intercept the rising current of heated air and direct it into -the central tube, D, forming part of the Itubular frame D, secured rigidly to the base A. i

E is a spring attached to the disk (3, and by its yielding permitting the globe to be re moved from between said spring and the perforated plate, and thus detached for cleaning or otherwise. These parts are all old and well known in this connection, but may be usedas shown with my invention.

- Heretofore with such lanterns the globe had necessarily to be removed in trimming. the lamp or cleaning the burner, and the perforated plate was also removable, so that these parts were liable to be lost or broken on such occasions. When the glass requires cleaning I remove the globe by means of the spring E, as in the ordinary construction; but I'have no need to take 'it out for any other purpose.

- Instead ofdetaching the glass from the frame I raise it, as shown in Fig.2, when access to the burner is desired, and I provide. suitable means of holding it when raised, and of fastening-it-when lowered. The drawings show the best mode 'in which I have contemplated applying my invention to the so-called tubular lanterns, but it is obvious that other forms or arrangements of the parts may be substituted, and that a frame not tubular would equally support the globe and the parts moving with it.

Instead of having the disk C fixed rigidly upon the bottom of the tube D, as in some of the existing lanterns referred to, I give said disk a sliding vertical movement on said tube, and I extend wires F F or other suitable connections down from the disk 0 to the lower part of the globe G, whichthey encircle, as indicated in Fig. 2, or I unite these wires, as shown in Fig. 1, to lateral-extensions or wings P of the perforated plate 12, so that said plate shall move with the globe up and down. I also provide lateral guides H, to give a steady movement and to hold the globe firmly when in position for u, se Such guides are prefera-' bly of wire, secured to the perforated plate or to its wings Bandpassing-around the airtube D." In practiee I leave one-end of each guide wire free or unsoldered, and merely spring it under the turned-down edge of the wing P, as indicated in Fig. 4. This enables me to prepare the sliding frame complete before it is attached to the tubular frame.

It is obvious that vertical rods passing through the wings P would form suitable guides, or that projecting wires might enter grooves in the inner faces of the tubes D D for this purpose. These modifications are indicated by dotted lines at h h in Fig. 2.

In order to raise the globe when desired, to support it when raised, to lower it to its normal position, and to secure it when lowered, I provide a spring-lever, L, secured to the disk 0, extending upwardly along the tube D,and

having a shoulder, L, which engages with a loop, M, on the tube D when the globe is in position for use. The upperend of the springlever is curved to form a thumb-piece, N, so shaped and in such relation to the top of the frame that the operator desiring to raise the globe thereby will involuntarily press the lever inward and upward, thus releasing the shoulder L from the loop M, whichhad formed a stop for it, and the globe will be lifted by the continued upward pressure of the thumb. The slight friction of the parts, together with that of the spring-lever in the loop, will suffice to hold the globe elevated temporarily, and will permit it to be pushed downward steadily by the thumb-piece. Fig. 3 will make clear this preferred form of construction.

It will be apparentthat this apparatus may be considerably varied, and that a latch or look independent of the spring-lever may be employed to secure the globe. Hence I do not limit myself to the specific devices or arrangement shown.

In arran gin gmy devices I have regarded simplicity and cheapness of construction, as well as adaptation to existing lanterns and avoidance of objectionable features. Theparts added may all be formed fromtwo or threeounces of tinnediron wire. The connecting-wires F F and the guides 11 H are protected from injury by the tubes D D, and do not obstruct the light at all. The lever L stands close to the tube D, and is down out of the way when in use.

I claim as of my invention- 1. In a lantern having a globe supporting frame, the vertically-adjustable plate 0, carrying a spring, E, adapted to hold or release the globe, as desired, in combination with the globe, the perforated plate on which it rests, the connecting-rods F F, serving to unite the top and bottom plates, and suitable guides adapted to give lateral support to the lower part of the globe, substantially as set forth.

2. The tubular frame D D and the globe G, in combination with the plates 0 p, the connecting-rods F, and the guides H, whereby said globe is raised and lowered by a suitable lever and guided or steadied laterally in its movements, for the purpose set forth.

3. Theperforated bottom plate, having wings P P, and the annular top plate, 0, united thereto by rods F F, forming a vertically-slidin g carriage for the globe, in combination with lateral guides H H, arranged to encircle the tubular frame, each guide-wire having one end free to spring under the edge of the wing 1, substantially as set forth.

4. In a lantern having a vertically-moving globe,the sprin g-lever L, with shoulder L and thumbpiece N, in combination with a loop or stop therefor on the frame, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereto aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOS. I3. STETSON.

Witnesses A. H. SPENCER, ELIHU (l. Looiurs. 

